


The War Machines (rewrite)

by UNITdaemon



Series: Same Companions, Different Order [1]
Category: Doctor Who, Doctor Who (1963)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Gen, episode rewrite, the war machines
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-03-22
Updated: 2018-08-16
Packaged: 2019-04-06 11:10:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 17,286
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14055675
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/UNITdaemon/pseuds/UNITdaemon
Summary: “Well, Miss Chaplet, I'll explain. This is perhaps not the biggest computer in the world, but it's certainly the most advanced. In fact, it can handle scientific problems well outside the range of any other computer in existence. We are about to link this up with computers all over the world as a central intelligence. A sort of problem solver.”When the Doctor and Dodo return to London, they find trouble in the form of a supercomputer called WOTAN. With Dodo falling under its hypnotic influence, the Doctor finds help in the form of secretary Victoria Waterfield and computer programmer Zoe Heriot. Time is short, and it's a race against the clock to prevent the destruction of the human race...





	1. Part One

**Author's Note:**

> Hi everyone! This is an AU that will (hopefully) cover all of the Second Doctor's era and a little bit of the First's. The concept - what if the Doctor encountered his companions in a different order? So in this story, instead of meeting Ben and Polly, he meets Victoria and Zoe. I hope you all enjoy reading this as much as I enjoyed reinterpreting the story :)
> 
> Big thanks to my beta reader, joyandotherstories, who you can find on Tumblr.
> 
> Doctor Who and it's characters belong to the BBC - I'm just here to write fic about it.

For the longest time, Dodo despised the idea of going home. There was nothing worth going back to - only a great-aunt that hated her, classmates that bullied her, and a kind of misery that followed her everywhere she went. Stumbling into the TARDIS was a dream come true. It was a time machine, so she didn’t have to worry about anyone missing her. She could just pop back seconds after she left, so she could stay there as long as she liked. With the Doctor and Steven for company, it felt like the best time of her life was about to start.

But then Steven left. If it made him happy she wasn’t going to complain, but she missed him. Travelling through time and space without Steven just seemed wrong... So when the TARDIS brought them back to jolly old London, Dodo was oddly happy to be back.

“Well, I suppose you know where you are, my dear,” the Doctor said, following her out of the TARDIS. 

“London. Home.” Dodo took a deep breath of the smoky, London air. It was all so familiar, so welcoming. Perhaps if she avoided the things that made her so miserable, she might actually enjoy herself. “It seems ages since I left.”

The Doctor turned to hang something on the TARDIS door, although Dodo was too busy looking around to see what it was. “Oh, when you've seen the ages that I've seen, you won't use that term quite so freely.” He turned back to Dodo, regarding her with a warm smile. “Anyway, I don't think it's been all that long.”

Dodo returned the grin, and only then did she notice the sign now dangling from the TARDIS door. In thick, blocky letters it read: OUT OF ORDER.

“Hey, what's that for?” she asked, looking at her older friend quizzically.

“Oh, well, you see, the problem with coming back to the twentieth century is, my dear, the TARDIS. I'm afraid it’s often mistaken for a real police box.” As he spoke, the Doctor subtly pointed towards an oncoming policeman. Dodo watched as he approached them, pausing to look at the TARDIS. The pair exchanged a wary glance, both hoping that the Doctor’s disguise would work. It did, as after briefly stopping to look at the sign, the policeman carried on his way without batting an eyelid.

Dodo smirked. “I see what you mean.”

“Yes, and fortunately he can't get in.” The Doctor leaned in closer to her, almost conspiratorial in how he spoke. There was a mischievous grin on his face that Dodo couldn’t help but share.

“If only he could! Scotland Yard whipped off into time and space.” Laughing, Dodo started forward, looking up to the sky. Her mouth fell open when she noticed the new addition to the London skyline. “Hey, look! The tower’s finished!”

The Post Office Tower stood tall before them, bright, shiny, and new. It was the tallest thing Dodo had ever seen, not counting the spectacular sights she’d seen on her travels with the Doctor. It was so long and thin it looked as though it would fall over at any moment. Nevertheless, it was impressive.

“Isn’t that interesting… Very interesting…” The Doctor brought his hand to his chin, suddenly looking rather concerned. Dodo took no notice, too busy marvelling at the building that was still in scaffolding the last time she saw it.  

“It's great, isn't it? Steven would have liked it here.”

“You know there's something alien about that tower. I can sense it,” said the Doctor, his eyes flaring with a spark that always appeared when there was trouble to be found.

Dodo rolled her eyes. No matter where they went, the Doctor was always able to snoop out a threat. Perhaps the stress of time travel was getting to him - nothing exciting ever happened in London.

She took another deep breath. “Smells OK to me. Good old London smoke.”

“I can feel it's got something sort of powerful... Look at my skin!” He held his hand out to Dodo. Obligingly, she looked at it, but she couldn’t see anything awry. “I've got that pricking sensation again, the same as I had when I saw the Daleks…”

Dodo looked to him with a furrowed brow. “Daleks? Who are they?”

“Oh, er, yes, of course, you didn't meet them, did you, child?” Dodo shook her head. “No. No, and I pray that you never will.”

Dodo looked up to the tower again. Now that she had aliens on the mind, the Post Office Tower did look as though it wouldn’t be out of place on a different planet. It was so stark and modern, a bit like a rocketship. 

“We could investigate, if you like,” Dodo suggested. If it was bothering the Doctor, they may as well have a look around. She didn’t want him worried all throughout their visit - it would suck all the fun out of it. 

“Yes, I think that would be for the best.” The Doctor held his arm out to her, and Dodo took it with a grin. Together, they set off towards the Post Office Tower.

 

Under the guise of a computer specialist and his secretary, the Doctor and Dodo had managed to get themselves an escort to the top of the tower. Their escort was an older, well built man who had introduced himself as Major Green. He’d asked them if they were there to see Professor Brett, a man whom neither the Doctor or Dodo had ever heard of. But still, the Doctor hastily agreed, and soon they found themselves exiting the lift out into Brett’s office.

The first thing Dodo noticed about the office was the windows, or rather, the view outside them. She could see all of London, each and every building spread out before her like a model city. The setting sun coloured the clouds peach against the slowly purpling sky, edged by black and grey. She almost missed the giant computer in the middle of the room for staring at the marvellous view. 

A young woman dashed around the room, files clutched close to her chest, working around a man Dodo assumed to be Professor Brett. As Major Green announced their arrival, the man perked up, confirming Dodo’s suspicions of his identity. 

“Ah, Doctor!” Brett said, stepping away from the computer and heading towards them. “I understand from Major Green you're a specialist in computer development.”

“Well, hardly a specialist, sir, but I dabble,” the Doctor replied, feigning modesty. He turned his gaze to the computer and muttered. “Oh, so that's what it is...”

“I beg your pardon?” Brett asked, leaning in slightly to hear the Doctor better.

“You know I had a very strong sense of energy outside this building, a sort of magnetic pull, if you like. It was most unusual, so I presume that's what it must have been,” the Doctor explained, and soon Brett joined him in looking at the hulking machine.

“It is indeed.” A look of pride washed over him. “It's my life's work, Doctor. I think I can go so far as to say that it's the only one in existence in the world. It's at least ten years ahead of its time.”

“Is that so?” The Doctor looked at the computer with interest as he approached it, with Professor Brett following him. Dodo could see that it looked powerful - it nearly took up the whole room. But if it was so ahead of its time, Dodo wanted to know how.

“What makes it so special?” she asked, joining the men beside the computer.

“Well, Miss…” As Brett struggled with her name, the Doctor stepped in.

“Oh, my secretary, Dodo Chaplet.”

“Well, Miss Chaplet, I'll explain. This is perhaps not the biggest computer in the world, but it's certainly the most advanced. In fact it can handle scientific problems well outside the range of any other computer in existence. We are about to link this up with computers all over the world as a central intelligence. A sort of problem solver.”

Dodo furrowed her brow. Almost everything Brett had said flew over her head. She was hardly the sharpest knife in the drawer, even with simple mathematics. So all this computer talk may as well have been ancient Greek. “I don’t understand.”

“Well, perhaps it'll be clearer tonight,” Brett said, looking from Dodo to the Doctor.

“Oh, tonight, sir?” the Doctor asked, raising his eyebrows.

Brett looked at him, trading his smile for a more baffled expression. “Yes, of course. I thought you’d come for the press conference?”

Dodo flushed, convinced their cover had been broken, but the Doctor simply waved away the misunderstanding. “Oh yes, yes, of course, my dear fellow. How could we forget?”

“I’ve been looking forward to it all day,” Dodo said, nodding along with the Doctor. Brett still looked a little bemused, and Dodo didn’t blame him. What a pair they must look…

Suddenly, Brett’s secretary approached. She opened her mouth to speak, but Brett cut her off before she got the chance. “This is my secretary, Victoria.”

The short brunette turned to greet them. It was the first time Dodo got a proper look at her, and she saw that Victoria was all big eyes and round face. She looked awfully sweet, and her higher pitched, upper class accent gave off a similar vibe. “How do you do?”

“Now, Victoria’s a pretty cracking typist, right? Well, this machine, which I call WOTAN-”

“You call what?” the Doctor asked. Dodo knew that, despite his appearance, the Doctor wasn’t as old as he let on. But lately he’d started displaying traits Dodo thought were more commonly found in a rest home, being hard of hearing included. She wasn’t sure whether to be concerned or not.

“WOTAN,” Brett repeated. “It stands for Will Operating Thought Analogue. Not only can it think faster than Victoria or myself, it can also type faster.”

Dodo looked to Victoria with astonishment. “Is that true?”

“I’m afraid so,” the other woman replied ruefully. “And it never makes mistakes!” 

“Are you seriously telling me, sir, that you have invented a machine that can think?” The Doctor asked, a hint of concern leaking into his fascination. When Brett answered with a nod, he continued. “And it never makes mistakes?”

Again, a nod. “Never.”

Cautiously, the Doctor took a step towards WOTAN, eyeing it thoughtfully. He spotted a small microphone embedded in the metal, and turned to the Professor. “I take it that I speak into here?”

“Yes, that’s right, Doctor.”

The Doctor brought his finger to his lips, tapping it as he thought. At last his eyes lit up. Turning back to the microphone, he asked in a clear, strong voice: “What is the square root of 17,422?”

Dodo jumped as the computer whirred into life, and a harsh ticking sound emitted as a piece of paper was slowly printed out from a slot next to the microphone. She’d never seen anything like it. Of course, she’d seen computers on television and in pictures, but never had she seen one in action right before her. Dodo glanced over at Victoria, hoping to share her amazement, only to find the brunette watching it with little interest. Naturally - she worked around the thing all day. Why should it be interesting to her?

The whirring and ticking came to an end, and the Doctor tore it from the printer. After reading the result, he brightened up considerably. “131 point 993... That's near enough. Yes, it's truly remarkable.”

“May I try it now?” Dodo asked, and Brett gestured for her to step towards the machine.

“Certainly, go ahead.”

“Now let’s see, you funny looking contraption,” she said, following Brett’s guidance and stepping up to WOTAN. “Here's one you'll never get. What does the word TARDIS mean?”

The whirring started up again once more, only this it took half as much time as it did with the Doctor’s question. Dodo tore the paper from the printer, her eyes widening as she read the answer. She couldn’t quite believe what she was reading - it really was extraordinary.

“Well, what did it say, my dear?” the Doctor prompted.

She stared blankly at the paper. “It got it right. Time And Relative Dimensions In Space.”

Dodo felt the Doctor take the paper from her hand, but at that moment Dodo’s concentration was fixed on WOTAN. It just wasn’t right. How could it possibly know what the TARDIS stood for? It was impossible to know, yet it did. 

The conversation taking place around her was drowned out by a mechanical buzzing in her head, invading her mind. Dodo wanted it to stop, but she couldn't get rid of it. It was like the computer was inside her, tearing through her brain until it knew everything that she did. She could feel it grabbing hold of her, of her consciousness, of-  

“Dodo?” When the Doctor called to her, the sensation disappeared completely. Like it had never been there at all.

She blinked, finally registering the three sets of worried eyes all on her. “Pardon?”

“What’s the matter my dear? Are you alright?” the Doctor asked, to which Dodo replied with a dazed nod.

“Oh, yes. Just a buzzing in the ears.”

She felt an arm draped around her shoulders, and then heard Victoria’s voice in her ear. “Would you like to sit down? I could get you some water if you’d like.”

“Yes please,” Dodo mumbled, and then she was being guided towards a seat beside one of the desks. Victoria vanished from her side, and it gave Dodo a moment to clear her head. She wasn’t sure what had happened back there. One moment, she was telling the Doctor about WOTAN’s answer, and then she’d blacked out. It really was odd.

As the Doctor and Brett carried on with their computer talk, a white paper cup was thrust into her hands. Dodo sipped at it, sending a grateful glance Victoria’s way. The secretary gave a small smile and sat down beside her. She started speaking as Dodo set the cup down on the desk.

“Are you feeling any better?” she asked, and she seemed genuinely interested. Dodo felt strangely good about having a complete stranger be concerned about her wellbeing. She supposed it was from having even her closest family members not care about her all that much.

“Fine, thanks.” 

The women sat in silence, too unfamiliar with each other to know what to say. Eventually, Victoria disturbed the quiet with the age old tactic of small talk. “Is this your first time in London?”

“Oh, no. It feels like it though. I'm so out of touch,” Dodo replied with a sigh.

“Well, if you want to get back in touch, I know the perfect place.” 

“Really?” 

“Yes. It’s not my scene, but there’s this nightclub below my apartment that’s really popular right now,” Victoria told her. She had Dodo’s interest piqued, as if there was one thing Dodo did miss about London, it was the nightlife.

“Oh yeah? What’s it called?”

“The Inferno.”

Dodo looked over at the Doctor and Professor Brett, who were still engrossed in their discussion about WOTAN. “I don’t think they’d mind if we slipped away.”

“I don’t even think they’d notice.”

Exchanging grins, the women made their move to leave. Dodo called out her goodbyes to the Doctor as Victoria grabbed her coat, and was met with a mere hand wave. Rolling her eyes, she held the door open as Victoria slipped past, and then Dodo followed her down the hall.

 

The Inferno was its usual crowded self, full of those who craved respite from their working lives and just wanted to dance. Victoria wouldn’t have given the club a second glance if it weren’t for the fact she lived right above it. But since she had no choice but to pass through it on her way home, she’d grown rather fond of it.

Victoria hoped Dodo would like it as much as she did. Judging from her excited chatter as they descended the stairs down onto the dance floor, she did. Victoria thought they would dance for a bit and get drinks later, but that plan was abandoned when she heard her close friend and roommate calling out to her. She pushed her way through the dancers, Dodo following closely behind.

“Hi, Kitty,” Victoria greeted as she took a seat at the bar.

“Hello, Vicky, love,” Kitty responded, brushing her long dark hair behind her shoulder. 

Victoria rolled her eyes. She really didn’t like having her name shortened to Vicky, or even Vic. She would’ve thought Kitty would know that by now. Deciding to ignore it, she realised she had an introduction to make. “Oh, Dodo, this is Kitty. Kitty, Dodo.”

The two women exchanged cheery greetings, then Kitty turned her attention back to Victoria. “Victoria, you're just the person I need. Will you help me?”

“Whatever for?” she asked, deciding against taking a seat at the bar. Depending on what Kitty wanted, she’d probably be up on her feet in no time. “I can look after the place if you’ve got to dash off for a bit.”

Kitty shook her head. “No, nothing like that. Listen, when you were here last week, do you remember that girl acting all gloomy at the end of the bar?”

Victoria thought back to the past few nights when she’d passed through the Inferno. While she never paid the club’s patrons much mind, she did vaguely remember the girl Kitty was talking about. She could definitely recall someone moping over a glass of something or other, but she’d be hard pressed to put a face to them. “Not especially. Why?”

“She's been here ever since! Poor thing, she just sits there,” Kitty complained.

“Have you tried talking to her?” Dodo asked. “Sometimes all people need is a nice chat, then they’re right as rain.”

“I would, but she’s just so unapproachable.” Kitty heaved a sigh, hanging her head. As Victoria leaned over to pat her friend on the shoulder, she spotted someone coming down the stairs. Her short dark hair bobbed as she walked down each step, framing her small, round face. From the droop of her mouth, Victoria hazarded a guess that she was the woman in question.

She tapped Kitty on the shoulder, and when the other woman lifted her head, Victoria pointed at the new entrant. “Is that her?”

“Oh yeah, that’s her. She's no great advertisement for the most with it place in town, is she?” She looked to Victoria, eyes wide and pleading. “Couldn't you cheer her up just a little?”

Victoria hesitated. Did she really want to get involved with the problems of a complete stranger? But then she did look so sad… “Alright, Kitty, we’ll help. Come on, Dodo.”

Once again, Dodo trailed after her. Victoria felt a little bad - after all, this was supposed to be their night out. But then again, her assignment from Kitty may not take as long as she thought. 

They found their target in her usual spot at the end of the bar, staring into space with a blank look in her eyes. Victoria leapt straight into the conversation. “Hello. I’ve seen you coming here quite a bit, lately.”

“Have you now?” the woman mumbled. 

“Yes, I have,” Victoria persisted. She wasn’t going to let this woman’s bad attitude get in the way of having a good night. “And you’ve been glum every time. I was just wondering if I could-”

“Help?” the woman interrupted, looking Victoria straight in the eye. “If you want to help, you can ring up my boss and get my job back. You’re wasting your time, otherwise.”

So she was out of a job. Perhaps that was something Victoria could work with? “Well, I can’t do that, but I can ask you up for a dance.”

For a moment, the woman looked interested. But that moment faded soon after it began. “No. I’ll just stay here, thanks.”

“Oh, please. It’ll be f-”

“Can’t I just sit here and mind my own business?” the woman snapped, her eyes dropping back to the bar. Victoria exchanged a glance with Dodo, who was looking rather put out by the woman’s attitude. Frowning, Victoria decided that she was going to keep on persisting until the woman was up on the dance floor.

“Not when you've got that look on your face,” she said. “Here, I’ll show you.”

Victoria dashed around to the other side of the bar, then leaned against it with her elbows. She set her gaze onto the other woman, taking in her droopy facial expression. She copied it, and soon both women were staring at each other with the exact same vacant eyes and frowns. To Victoria’s relief, the woman’s mouth curved into a smile.

“Was it really that bad?”

Dodo, who had been giggling all throughout Victoria’s mimicry, chimed in. “Worse!”

“So, now that we can be civil with each other, tell me more about this job of yours.” Victoria straightened up her face, then waited expectantly for the woman to start.

“It might be a bit above you,” the woman said, which ruffled Victoria’s feathers immensely.

“Try me!”

“Alright. I work - worked - with these computer programmers. Apparently I said something out of line, and they kicked me out.” Recounting her tale made the woman’s face fall again. Damn. And Victoria thought she’d made such good progress…

“What did you say?” she asked.

“I only figured out a way to improve on the model we were working on! But they didn’t like that sort of talk coming from a little girl like me, so they thought I’d be better off doing something else,” she grumbled. “And I was proud of that discovery too. No doubt they’ll pass it off as their own…”

As a working woman herself, Victoria couldn't help but feel annoyed as well. She’d hate to lose her job working for the Professor for any reason, let alone one as unfair as that. From the sounds of things, the woman had a pretty good job too. Suddenly, Victoria could understand why the woman had been so down the past week.

“That’s not fair,” Dodo said, who also seemed aggravated by the woman’s situation.

“You’re telling me…” 

“Look, why don’t I get you a drink? Dodo, you keep our new friend company, I’ll be back shortly.” After receiving a nod from Dodo, Victoria started off back to Kitty to order the drinks. No doubt she’d be happy to hear the progress she’d made with… Hang on. What was her name?

As Victoria wondered about going back to ask for the woman’s name, she felt someone come up behind her. Turning her head, she found a rather tall club patron in a striped jacket looming over her. The sudden intimacy made her more than uncomfortable, and she hoped she’d be able to get away from him before anything could happen.

She tried to scoot away, but he rested his arm on the counter, cutting her off. Biting her lip, she asked as calmly as she could: “Please take your arm away.”

“Oh, come on, darling,” he started, his words slurred. “I heard you were aching for a dance.”

Victoria was about to mumble another protest, but someone else got there first. “What are you doing?”

Peering behind her assailant, Victoria saw the woman from before staring at the man with narrowed eyes. Dodo stood behind her, although her glare wasn’t half as frightening. But the man only dismissed them. “Get lost.”

“Let her go.”

The man let go of Victoria, instead focusing his attention on the other woman. While she was relieved to be free of him, Victoria hated the idea of him doing anything to either of her new friends. She looked around for Kitty, hoping she’d see her coming to put all this to an end. But her heart sank when she saw the club’s owner disappear through a door behind the bar.

“Look, this ain’t any of your business, girly,” the man sneered. 

Before anyone had a chance to think, the woman was running straight towards Victoria’s assailant. Despite the major difference in size, the far shorter woman had soon overpowered him, and was holding him in a headlock. Victoria gasped and Dodo clapped her hands excitedly. But the victory didn’t last long - the man had soon wormed his way out of the headlock and looked ready to tackle the woman down. 

As he lumbered towards her, the woman used her size to her advantage and dodged out of the way. He whirled around to find her, and was greeted by a kick to the shins. The woman shoved him to the ground while he was still startled, and soon she was on top of him, raising her fist above his head.

“What’s all this?” Kitty’s voice cut through the cheering crowd that had gathered around the brawl. Upon hearing Kitty’s question, the woman lowered her fist and stood back up again.

“One of your customers wants to go home.”

The man scrambled to his feet and bolted, pushing through the crowd and dashing up the stairs. With the excitement over, the crowd went back to dancing and drinking as though the whole thing never happened. But Victoria wouldn’t forget it, and she had to thank the woman who had made it so unforgettable.

The woman was already approaching her, concern etched into her face. “Are you alright?”

“Yes,” Victoria said with a nod. “That was just wonderful, what you did for me.”

Her eyes fell to the floor. In the dark of the club, it was hard to see the blush staining her cheeks. “Well, he shouldn’t have been treating you like that.”

Victoria smiled warmly. “Thanks very much, uh… Oh, that’s right! I don’t even know your name.”

“It’s Zoe. Zoe Heriot.”

 

The Doctor was rather glad he had stumbled across Professor Brett and his supercomputer. He wasn’t entirely trusting of it, to be sure. But he was far happier learning about WOTAN than he would’ve been traipsing around London with Dodo. As fond as he was of her, he could tell that the kind of things she did for entertainment wouldn’t be much fun for him.

So it was rather fortunate that they’d split up to to follow their own interests. Dodo had gone into town with that secretary, and the Doctor was attending the conference Brett had mentioned. As he stepped out of the taxi cab, he took a moment to admire London in the nighttime. He really must come here more often. Yes, he must.

The Doctor made his way to the address Brett had given him, which brought him to the Royal Scientific Club. As he pulled open the door and stepped inside, he could already hear that the conference was underway. He slipped in quietly, not wanting to disturb the proceedings.

A stately, older man stood at the front of the room, addressing a large crowd of reporters. He was backed by a graphic on the wall, which showed a diagram of all the major computers in the world linking to WOTAN.

“C Day, that is Computer Day, will be next Monday, July the 16th, that is in four days’ time,” he said as the Doctor settled himself into a chair. “Now on that date all the computer systems in this country, and subsequently in the whole world, will come under the control of this central computer which we call WOTAN. Now, as you've heard, that will have both peaceful and military implications. I need hardly tell you that this is a great step forward for Britain, and indeed I may say, for the whole world. Now, have you got any questions?”

The crowd all went at once, and the Doctor started at the sudden noise. The man at the front - who, from an earlier conversation with Brett, the Doctor believed to be called Sir Charles Summer - managed to settle everyone down. “Now, now. One at a time please.”

An American reporter went first. “Roy Stone, New York Sketch. Sir, doesn't this put a great deal of power into the hands of whoever operates WOTAN?”

“No one operates WOTAN,” Sir Charles answered with certainty. “WOTAN operates itself. The computer is merely a brain which thinks logically without any political or private ends. It is pure thought. It makes calculations, it supplies only the truth. It has no imaginative powers.”

“Is there no way of fixing it so it can give the wrong answers?”

“There would be no point. Now don't forget that a computer like WOTAN is not a human being…”

As the two men carried on their conversation, the Doctor noticed a distinct absence. There was no sign of Brett. The Professor had said he’d be a bit late to the conference, but the Doctor didn’t think he’d be  _ this _ late. From the short time he’d known him, Brett seemed like a man who valued punctuality. 

He decided not to worry about it. After all, Brett could have a myriad of reasons for not showing up. Instead, he tuned back into the conversation between Sir Charles and the reporter, Mr Stone.

“It seems to me by the way you're talking, sir, that this machine can think for itself like a human being.” Mr Stone seemed rather distressed by WOTAN. As much as he disliked the man’s tone, the Doctor had to agree with him. WOTAN’s capabilities were definitely concerning, and the Doctor shared Mr Stone’s fear of what may happen if the computer overpowered its masters.

Sir Charles responded with grace. “It can, only much more accurately.”

“But sir, I mean, isn't this kinda risky?” Mr Stone continued. “I mean, suppose it decides it can do without people, what then?”

“I hardly think it'll come to that. I'm sure that Professor Brett and his team will have the machine well under control.” With that, Sir Charles turned away from the crowd to address an associate of his. The Doctor was sitting fairly close to them, so he could make out bits and pieces of their conversation. It seemed they were missing Brett as well.

Their chat didn’t last very long, and soon Sir Charles was back in front of the crowd, and his assistant on the telephone. 

“Now gentlemen, I must apologise for the absence of Professor Brett. I'm sure he'll be along in a moment or two if you will just bear with us. It is, after all, his show,” Sir Charles said with as charming a smile as he could muster. The reporters didn’t seem too fussed about the absence of Brett, as they went right back to firing questions at the man.

The Doctor leaned back in his chair, wondering if he should be worried about Brett after all. 

 

“I have to go now. I am already very late for an important meeting. Good night.”

The low hum of WOTAN filled the room as Brett placed the phone down on the receiver, scrubbing his hand over his face. He let it rest on his chin, covering his mouth as he thought. He really should’ve been on his way to the conference a while ago - surely Sir Charles would be growing impatient. The Doctor too, although he was sure the older fellow wouldn’t mind. After all, he could hardly be angry at Brett’s tardiness when he himself had completely forgotten about it earlier that day.

But his mind was preoccupied with other things, namely the presence he felt in the Post Office Tower. Truth be told, he hadn’t felt safe all week. It was as if there was someone watching him, lurking in the corners of his office, taking note of his every move. He’d managed to take his mind off it when the Doctor came to visit, as intelligent conversation always cheered him up. But since the Doctor left for the conference, the feeling of unease had returned.

Perhaps he was going mad? Victoria hadn’t mentioned feeling the same way, and he’d spent enough time cooped up in his office to grow a little stir crazy. Maybe if he had someone reassure him that the building was empty, he’d be able to have some peace.

Brett crossed the room to the intercom and flicked a switch. Shortly afterward, the figure of Major Green appeared in the doorway. “You wanted something, Professor?”

“Have you been here all day, Major?” Brett asked, taking a few steps closer to Green.

The man replied with a nod of his head. “Yes, of course.”

“Are you sure that this building's properly screened?”

“If you have any complaints-”

“I have.” Brett cut him off, coming off as far more tetchy than he’d intended. “There's someone in this part of the building.”

“That’s not at all possible,” Green said, holding Brett in a reassuring gaze. This wasn’t the first time the Professor had called him up with the same issue. “We have the complete security check on this section of the tower day and night.”

“Are you sure?” 

“Positive.”

“It's funny,” he started, making his way towards the door. “I've had a feeling all day of someone there. Someone listening to me, watching me.”

As he peered around the doorframe into the hall, Green spoke up. “There's only the two of us in this part of the tower, sir.”

“I suppose you’re right.” Brett turned back into his office, addressing the Major with an apologetic smile. “I'm sorry. I must be getting tired.”

“That’s alright.” With that, Green made his own way out the door. But before he left, he turned to Brett once more. “Will you be working late tonight, Professor?”

Brett shook his head. He wasn’t sure if he could stand to stay there much longer, as despite Green’s reassurance, Brett still felt watched. “No, no. I must be off - I'm late for a conference. Thank you, Major.” 

“Goodnight, sir.” Green disappeared out the doorway, leaving Brett on his own.

Only he wasn’t alone. As Brett took steps to follow the Major out of the building, WOTAN’s humming changed its tone to a higher one. He froze, glancing back at the computer with wide eyes. It was just sitting there, as it always did, whirring away. But for a moment, Brett wondered that there was more to the computer that met the eye. What if he’d made a mistake in making it so intelligent? What if it was more dangerous than he’d realised? What if WOTAN was the one watching him…

Brett blinked. “This is ridiculous. I must be imagining things…”

He took a step towards the door, but he froze. The humming grew louder, almost too loud. Slowly, Brett turned towards it, and he felt a lightness in his head as though he were about to faint. But instead of collapsing, he felt himself drawn towards the computer. He tried to stop himself, but he’d lost control of his body. His limbs were moving of their own accord, and he was frightened by it.

Yet he couldn’t express his fear. He couldn’t yell or scream. All he could do was stare at WOTAN, the humming growing louder and louder as it invaded his mind and stripped him of his free will. He tried to shut his eyes to block it all out, but he couldn’t. Brett felt himself slipping away as WOTAN’s influence closed around him.

In a dull, lifeless voice, WOTAN’s new slave spoke. “What do you want?”

 

Dodo collapsed into a seat by the bar, smiling as Zoe and Victoria laughed behind her. Kitty watched them with amusement as she cleaned out a glass, obviously satisfied with how the night had turned out. Dodo was rather satisfied too. Since the incident with that horrid man harassing Victoria, the three of them had had a smashing time. Victoria’s words had clearly worked on Zoe, as she seemed to be having the best time of all.

So much so that she was keen to get straight back into dancing after a mere minute of rest. “Right, shall we go up again?”

“I don't think so,” Dodo said, slightly out of breath.

Kitty, having abandoned the newly cleaned glass, came up to meet them. “Hello, there. Bright and breezy now, are we?”

“Absolutely,” Zoe replied with a beaming smile. 

Laughing, Kitty gave some attention to Victoria. “Victoria, you're a wonder. How do you do it?”

“Well, it’s like Dodo said,” the secretary started with a shrug. “Sometimes all people need is someone to complain to.”

“I was not complaining!” Zoe protested with a light slap to Victoria’s arm.

As the others continued their chat, Dodo felt a sudden pain in her head. It was the exact same ache she’d had back at the Tower, only this time worse. It was almost as if something was pulling on her brain, and it hurt like hell. She raised a hand to massage her forehead, willing it to go away.

“What's the matter, Dodo?” Having noticed Dodo’s pained expression, Victoria had abandoned the conversation she was having with Kitty and Zoe. She sat down on the stool beside her, looking her over with kind blue eyes.

“I don’t know,” Dodo replied. “I've had a sort of a headache ever since I left your office.”

“Headache?” Zoe inquired as she and Kitty sidled over to see what the matter was.

Dodo looked up to address her new friends. “A sort of high pitched hum. It's gone again now. I'm alright, really.”

“Oh, good,” Zoe said, dropping the matter as soon as she’d picked it up. “Now, how about that dance?”

Victoria rolled her eyes as Zoe dragged her back to the floor, but her smile was too wide for her to have any issue with it. Kitty chuckled at the two, then went off to serve another thirsty patron, leaving Dodo on her own.

She didn’t know why she’d said her headache was feeling better, because it wasn’t. If anything, it was worse. The music and the constant chatter wasn’t helping, so she wondered if stepping outside would help at all. But she decided against it. The night had been going so well, and Dodo didn’t want to be the one who ended it.

_ “It’s just a silly headache” _ , Dodo thought to herself.  _ “Absolutely nothing to worry about _ . _ ” _


	2. Part Two

“Well, gentlemen and ladies, if there are no more questions?” As Sir Charles rounded off the conference, the Doctor shifted in his chair. He had found the night rather interesting, but one thing had been bothering him the entire time. It seemed to have bothered Sir Charles as well. 

“I really am very sorry about the absence of Professor Brett. I'm sure that it must have been something very important that prevented him coming,” he continued, trying to mask his frustration with an apologetic look. But almost as soon as he’d spoken, the front door flew open to reveal Professor Brett.

He strode past the crowd of reporters, barely looking at them as he spoke. “Gentlemen, I am sorry I was not able to attend. It was unavoidable.”

Noticing the Professor’s vacant expression and monotone speech, the Doctor frowned. Those traits alone clued him in on the fact that something wasn’t right with the man, but he couldn’t quite peg what. Sir Charles, however, didn’t see anything wrong and was overjoyed that their honoured guest had finally decided to join them.

“Well, now that you're here, perhaps you'll talk to the gentlemen-”

Sir Charles was ignored in favour of his associate, a weedy looking man with a full beard and thick glasses. Brett fixed his gaze on him. “I want to see Professor Krimpton.”

“I beg your pardon?” Sir Charles, asked, mouth agape. “They’ve been waiting.”

“It’s urgent,” Brett said, and he gestured towards Sir Charles’s associate, whom the Doctor assumed to be Professor Krimpton. “Professor Krimpton?”

The man in question adjusted his glasses. “See me now?”

“Immediately, if you don't mind.”

Sir Charles moved closer to Brett, muttering something that the Doctor couldn’t quite make out. Brett said something in reply, but he soon shifted his attention from Sir Charles back to Krimpton, gesturing for the man to follow him. Sir Charles watched, obviously unsure of how to react, as Brett led Krimpton out of the room.

The reporter from earlier, Mr Stone, decided he’d stick his nose in. “Professor Brett. I'm from the New York Sketch, sir-”

“No comment.”

Despite the circumstances, the Doctor was quite amused by how Brett snubbed Mr Stone. He’d never liked men like that - the kind that took pleasure in invading people’s privacy. The Doctor wasn’t surprised at Mr Stone’s behaviour, as he was soon following after Krimpton and Brett, still hankering to get his questions answered. He took the whole group of reporters with him, and soon the once crowded space was empty, save for Sir Charles and himself.

Sir Charles sighed and crossed the room to get his coat. However, he stopped when he laid eyes on the Doctor, who was still seated against the wall. “Excuse me, are you the doctor that Professor Brett telephoned me about?”

The Doctor rose to greet him. “Yes, I am, Sir Charles.”

“Oh, well, I'm glad that you could come along.” Sir Charles glanced over to the door, which was now hanging open after the reporters had left. “I wonder what on Earth's got into Brett this evening? His manner was very odd.”

“Yes, very odd indeed. Perhaps he's overworking,” the Doctor mused. “Who was that little man, Krimpton?”

Sir Charles waved his hand in dismissal. “Oh, an electronics fellow. One of our top men. Come to think of it, electronics... Perhaps there is something wrong with WOTAN and he didn't want to let it out?”

He looked to the Doctor for an opinion. “Perhaps.”

“That would explain it, wouldn't it?” Suddenly, Sir Charles abandoned the conversation to retrieve his coat. “Look, I'm terribly sorry but would you excuse me? I think I'd better go and check.”

As Sir Charles dashed out of the building, the Doctor was left standing alone in the conference room. Brett’s behaviour that night had only served to make the Doctor more suspicious about his computer, as he’d never exactly trusted it in the first place. It wasn’t like the Doctor had never seen an evil supercomputer before, and the way Sir Charles spoke about it certainly suggested that it was capable of human-like thought. 

He needed to get to the bottom of this. He had to know if WOTAN truly was dangerous, and if so, what had it done to Brett? That was if it had done anything to Brett in the first place… The Doctor sighed and shook his head. He wasn’t thinking straight these days, and he found that he needed someone to talk to if he was to solve any sort of mystery. 

With that thought in mind, he started towards the door, hoping he’d be able to reunite with his young companion.

 

Keys clinking in his hand, Major Green made one last stop by Professor Brett’s office before locking it up for the night. His eyes fell on WOTAN, the supercomputer that seemed to be causing nothing but trouble. 

Green had known Professor Brett for some time now but never had he seen the man so agitated. It was only when the Professor started working on WOTAN that Green noticed the change - Brett was paranoid, anxious, and far too obsessed with the damn thing to be healthy. Major Green was grateful for the Doctor’s visit simply because it seemed to reinvigorate the Professor somewhat.

Giving the computer one last glare of suspicion, Green moved to shut the doors. Until he noticed the humming.

It was low, droning, and suddenly it seemed Green couldn’t focus on anything else. It didn’t take long for WOTAN to take hold of him, and soon he was nothing more than an empty shell, willing and ready to blindly follow WOTAN’s every order.

He could hear its voice in his head, telling him what to do. There was a girl. The dark haired one from before - the Doctor’s secretary. WOTAN wanted her. She was vital to the plan. He needed to call her. Victoria had taken her to the Inferno club. She would still be there. 

_ Dial the number, Major _ . 

 

Dodo watched as Victoria and Zoe continued to dance, both looking a little red in the face, but still having the time of their lives. They were talking about something that must have been very funny, as it seemed that at least one of them was laughing at any given moment. Dodo wished she could join them, but she still had that blasted headache.

No one would notice if she slipped away, would they? Her new friends were having a great time without her, so she could easily just pop outside to get some air. Maybe go back to the TARDIS for some medicine. It wouldn’t take her that long, just a few minutes. She started to slide off of the bar stool, but she paused. 

No. She didn’t want her friends to worry. That would only bring the evening down. Or would her staying have the same effect? Sighing, Dodo leaned against the bar and put her head in her hands.

“Everything alright, love?” Dodo looked up to see Kitty looking down at her, brow furrowed.

She lifted her head, trying to smile in a way that didn’t look forced. “Yeah. That headache came back, that’s all.”

“Oh,” Kitty said with a frown. “Would you like a glass of water?”

“Thanks, that would be great.”

Kitty flashed her a little smile before heading off to fix her the drink. Before she could get to it, however, a phone started to ring. Kitty looked to Dodo apologetically, then trotted over to the phone, which was situated on a counter behind the bar.

“Hello, Inferno Club. What? Who? Speak up!” Kitty scrunched up her face as she tried to listen, but she soon relaxed and responded to the caller with a smile. “Oh, right, yes. I'll get her. Dodo, it's for you!”

Dodo’s eyebrows raised as Kitty handed her the phone. Who on Earth would be calling her? None of her friends or family knew she was in town, let alone at the Inferno. Unless it was the Doctor… Yes, it had to be him. Who else would be calling her at this time of night?

Dodo took the phone. “Hello?”

“Am I speaking to Dodo Chaplet?” She recognised the voice, although she struggled to place it.

“Yes. Who is it?” The man on the other end didn’t respond. All Dodo could hear was a crackling sound and some faint beeping. She wondered about hanging up altogether until she heard something clicking. “Hello, who is this? Hello?”

Suddenly, a familiar mechanical buzzing sounded in her ears. It was exactly the same as when she first interacted with WOTAN, right when she blacked out, just before the headaches started. She had to put the phone down. It wasn’t safe for her to listen anymore. She had to hang up. But the phone stayed by her ears, and the last thing she felt was a sharp pain in her head, and then nothing.

Her face fell blank, her mind dulled. A slow, distorted voice came over the phone. “ _ You must come to me _ .”

“Yes. I understand.”

Dodo placed the phone on the bar and stood up. Staring straight ahead, she made her way towards the stairs, barely registering the people and the music around her. She pushed open the door and walked slowly into the night.

 

“Now look here, Brett, I'll stay a couple of minutes,” Professor Krimpton protested as he stood in the elevator of the Post Office Tower, shoulder to shoulder with Brett. “I think it’s a bit much-”

“Nothing is too much,” Brett said, his tone clipped. WOTAN wanted him to bring Krimpton. He was vital if the plan was to succeed.

Krimpton looked at him with confusion. “What are you talking about? What's the matter with you this evening? Has the computer broken down?”

“On the contrary,” Brett replied, looking down at the far shorter man. “It is we who have broken down. We have failed.”

The elevator doors slid open, revealing the corridor leading up to Brett’s office. The Professor walked straight ahead, glancing behind him to check if Krimpton was still with him. He was. Brett couldn’t let him leave. WOTAN wouldn’t be happy if he left.

“We have failed?” repeated the baffled Krimpton, following Brett out of the elevator.

Brett kept up his pace as he explained. “We've reached a standstill. We cannot develop the Earth any further. Progress is impossible.”

“What do you mean, impossible?”

“That is the conclusion reached by WOTAN.” Brett reached the door to his office, which was slightly ajar. He stepped aside to let Krimpton through first. WOTAN would be glad. It wanted Krimpton. He could hear it humming - did it already know?

As Krimpton walked past into the office, he continued to question what Brett was saying. “Are you joking? This machine is hardly in a position to-”

“I’m not joking.” Brett cut him off as he stepped inside, shutting the door behind him. He spotted Green out of the corner of his eye, but Krimpton seemed oblivious to his presence. “WOTAN has decided that the world cannot progress further with mankind running it.”

“Oh really?” Krimpton cast a disbelieving gaze at the machine. “And what does WOTAN propose to do about it, take over from us?”

“From now on, we are here to serve.” 

Krimpton's glanced shifted back to Brett. He looked angry now, as if Brett was wasting his time. But he wasn’t. He’d brought Krimpton to WOTAN. He was going to help them with the plan. He shouldn’t be angry. 

“And if we choose not to, I suppose mankind will be eliminated?” asked Krimpton. It was odd. He sounded so grim. He didn’t need to be. WOTAN would make the world better. 

“If it is necessary.”

For a moment, Krimpton simply stood there, looking at Brett as if he had two heads. Suddenly, a nervous smile broke out on his face. He was laughing, but there was fear in his voice. “You've been working too hard, old chap. You've gone completely off your rocker.”

Brett watched as Krimpton turned to leave, only to stop as he laid eyes on Major Green. He seemed relieved until Green spoke to him. “He is not mad, Professor Krimpton.”

Krimpton looked from Brett to Green, terror plain on his face. “Let me out of here.”

“You must wait.” Green stepped in front of the door.

Krimpton dashed to the phone and started dialling, his eyes still darting between his two captors. “I refuse to be kept. I refuse!”

Brett and Green glanced at each other as Krimpton held the phone to his ear. The Professor didn’t want to serve WOTAN. But he’d made a mistake. WOTAN controlled the phone line.

Brett shut his eyes as the low hum of the computer once again rose in pitch. Krimpton’s cries almost drowned it out, and Brett could already tell that WOTAN had him in its grasp. The protest soon transformed into garbled yells of pain, and the phone clattered to the floor as Krimpton dropped it. It didn’t take long for the Professor to fall under WOTAN’s power. As Brett opened his eyes, the sight of a blank-faced Krimpton was a wonderful one indeed.

Major Green, Miss Chaplet, Professor Krimpton, and himself. Only one more was needed, then WOTAN would have the power it desired. 

 

Victoria peered over at the bar with concern. Kitty was still there, dashing after customers and running into the storage room, but there was no sign of Dodo. Victoria had been so busy dancing with Zoe that she hadn’t noticed her leaving. Perhaps she’d just popped off to the bathroom? But with those headaches Dodo had been having, Victoria wasn’t entirely comfortable with leaving her alone.

“Are you alright?” Zoe asked, having noticed the distraction of her dancing partner.

“I can’t see Dodo,” Victoria said, looking over at the dark-haired woman beside her. “Do you mind if we head over to the bar? I want to see if Kitty knows where she’s gone.”

Zoe nodded. “Sure.”

The two women made their way over to the bar. It was decidedly less difficult getting through the crowd of dancers - as the night had worn on, several of the patrons had gone home. As Victoria came up on Dodo’s seat, she looked around to see if she could spot her.

“I can’t see her anywhere,” said Zoe.

Victoria raised an absent-minded hand to her hair. “Surely she wouldn't have left without a word to us?”

“I shouldn’t think so. She seemed nice.” Zoe added with a smile: “A bit like you.”

Victoria cast her eyes downwards, her cheeks flushing a little. How nice of her to say… But it was probably just the drink talking. Besides, Victoria had bigger things to worry about. “I'm supposed to be looking after her. You know, showing her around.”

Before Zoe could respond, Kitty came up to meet them from the opposite side of the counter. Victoria’s eyes lit up - she could ask her roommate if she had seen where Dodo had got to. But she had little time to do that, as Kitty had come armed with a different topic of conversation.

“Hey, look at that old man coming down the stairs.” Victoria turned to see a man she recognised as the Doctor entering the club. “Isn’t this our night for surprises? I wonder what he wants…”

“That’s the Doctor,” Victoria explained as the old man spotted her in the crowd. She waved him over, sending him an inviting smile. “He’s Dodo’s boss.”

“Ah, I thought I'd find you both here,” said the Doctor after making his way through the clubgoers. “Well, I hope Dodo and yourself have enjoyed yourselves.”

Victoria faltered. She really hoped Dodo would show up, as she hated the idea of having to tell the Doctor that she was missing. The Doctor wasn’t as young as he used to be, so she could imagine that worrying about Dodo wouldn’t be good for his health. She struggled to find what to say, until, much to her relief, Zoe stepped in and answered for her.

“Yes, it’s been great.”

“Have one on the house, Doctor,” Kitty said with a smile. The Doctor looked at her, his brows knitted in slight confusion. “It isn't every day we get the over twenties in this place. Oh, I dig your fab gear!”

The Doctor looked down at his clothes, which looked rather anachronistic compared to the modern stylings of the Inferno. It looked like he’d stepped right out of one of the portraits hanging in Victoria’s family home. “Fab gear… Uh, who is your friend?”

“Oh, I’ve just met her,” said Victoria, noticing that the Doctor’s gaze had fallen to Zoe. “Her name is Zoe. Zoe, this is the Doctor.”

After exchanging brief pleasantries, the Doctor started to look around the establishment. Victoria and Zoe exchanged a worried glance - they both knew who he was looking for.

“I don’t see Dodo about?”

Victoria took a deep breath, deciding she’d rather tell the truth than lie until she turned up again. “I’m afraid she’s gone.”

The Doctor’s reaction was just as Victoria had expected. “She's gone? Gone where, child?”

“Well, I don’t know-”

“She did get a call earlier,” Kitty chimed in. “She came to answer the phone about half an hour ago, and I haven't seen her since.”

 

Dodo walked slowly through the hallway, the doorway to Brett’s office in her sights. She could hear the voices of WOTAN’s other servants, although they were faint in her mind. 

_ There is one special brain that WOTAN needs. The task of leading this brain here to serve WOTAN will be an extremely delicate matter. It has been arranged. _

She would help find the special brain. She would help WOTAN succeed. She stepped through into Brett’s office, finally laying eyes on the three men WOTAN had enlisted. Two scientists and a soldier. Perfect. 

Without even looking at her, Brett knew she was there. “The Doctor’s secretary.”

Dodo took a few steps towards the computer, staring at it blankly. She always felt connected to WOTAN. The closer she got to it, the better that connection felt. She would help it in any way she could. It was her duty. “What are my instructions?”

The computer’s droning hum escalated into something greater, and Dodo could almost make out coherent speech. It struggled to communicate, beeping in strange patterns, almost wheezing as it tried to speak. But it managed, and one simple order, spoken in a harsh, raspy voice, echoed throughout the office.

“ _ Doctor Who is required. Bring him here.” _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You just gotta love those little anachronisms of 60s Doctor Who. Anyway, let me know what you thought in a comment!


	3. Part Three

The mission had been given. Miss Chaplet nodded slowly before turning and leaving, going to obey her new master. But WOTAN wanted more than just the Doctor. He would aid them greatly, but he was simply the means to an end.

Brett knew exactly what WOTAN wanted - complete and utter domination of the planet Earth. He turned to his associates. “Here are your orders. Time is short. Progress is impossible unless WOTAN takes control within the next few days. Then WOTAN shall decide on the future of the human race. Who shall live to serve the machines, and who shall be eliminated.”

WOTAN’s printer sprang into life. Krimpton attended to it immediately, making his way towards the computer as soon as the page started to appear. He tore the paper from the machine, reading it aloud to Brett and the Major.

“London is the first capital to be taken over, then Washington and Moscow. War Machines must be built immediately.”

“Further instructions from WOTAN,” Brett said. He didn’t need to think. WOTAN told him how the War Machines would be built. He could hear instructions echoing in his mind. “We shall require skilled labour. A labour corps will come into operation immediately. Contact will be made with these people by telephone. When they are on the line, switch them through to thought control. This is the way each person will be enlisted.”

Major Green shut his eyes. WOTAN was speaking to him. “I will select suitable places. Professor Brett shall supervise the initial stages. Suspicion must not be aroused.”

“Attend to it immediately,” Brett instructed. Green gave the same, slow nod that Miss Chaplet had done earlier, and left the room. Brett turned to Krimpton, only to recognise in his face that he was receiving instructions of his own.

He looked to Brett, eyes lifeless behind thick rimmed glasses. “I must work upon a suitable electronic programme for the new mobile computers. They must be able to move freely and contain their own power. All computer systems throughout the world must be integrated in WOTAN. I shall attend to it immediately.”

Before Brett could respond, WOTAN spoke once more. Although this was not inside his head. It was speaking to both he and Krimpton, just as when it addressed Miss Chaplet. It was strange to hear its voice out loud. 

“ _ Doctor Who is required _ .”

It seemed his earlier judgement was wrong. WOTAN needed the Doctor more than Brett realised. Perhaps he and Krimpton would be better suited to finding him? 

He turned to Krimpton and relayed his new plan. “Top priority is to enlist the Doctor. He has advanced knowledge which WOTAN needs. The Doctor must be enlisted into our services tonight.”

 

Dodo stood outside the Inferno Club, watching as the sign flashed on and off. She thought it would be closed by now. Her watch read 2.45 AM. It was open very late. She gave a short sharp sigh - that was the least of her problems. The Doctor was in there. She had to bring him back.

She stepped forward and pushed open the door, making her way towards the steps that lead down to the dance floor. She paused at the top of them. There were voices. She knew those voices - they were her friends. Talking about her, it seemed. She stopped to listen.

“She might’ve had an accident.” That was Victoria. Dodo heard the sound of pages turning.

Another woman spoke. Dodo recognised her as Zoe. “I’m sure it wouldn’t be that drastic.”

“Well, I don’t just want to sit here and do nothing,” Victoria replied. The flipping of pages continued.

“That’s very admirable, my dear.” The moment Dodo heard the Doctor’s voice, she started her descent down the stairs.

She arrived on the dance floor to a group of turned backs. Victoria was scanning through a phonebook, Zoe was helping Kitty tidy up the bar, and the Doctor sat by the counter. She decided to announce her arrival.

“Hello, Doctor. You seem to have found us alright.”

She was greeted by a chorus of relieved exclamations. The Doctor approached her, brow knitted with worry, but mouth curled into a smile of relief. “Oh, my dear child!”

“Where have you been?” Zoe asked, folding her arms and frowning.

“What happened to you?” Victoria followed closely behind the Doctor.

Dodo had to come up with an excuse quickly. She must not arouse suspicion. She would fail if they thought something was amiss. “I’ve just been around the corner.”

Victoria wrapped an arm around her shoulder and lead her to the bar. “But you’ve been gone for hours.”

“Yes, we’ve all been extremely worried about you,” the Doctor said as Victoria settled Dodo onto one of the bar stools. Kitty placed a glass of water in front of her, but it went ignored.

“I, er… I had a call from some old friends. I just popped along to see them. Was I really that long?” Her face was a mask of innocence.

“Indeed you were,” the Doctor scolded. “You didn't tell me about your friends. And how did they know that you might be here?”

_ Don’t fail me, Miss Chaplet _ . “Oh, it's a long story. I'm sorry if you were worried.”

“Well, I sincerely hope so.” The Doctor took the seat beside her, taking the glass of water when it was apparent that Dodo didn’t want it. “By the way, my child, Sir Charles Summer and his family have asked us to pay a visit.” He turned to Kitty, Victoria, and Zoe. “So if you'll excuse us, I think we'd better be off.”

Zoe nodded. “I think it’s time we all went home.”

“I can help you find a cab, if you’d like,” Victoria offered. 

“Yes, thank you,” the Doctor said with a warm smile. Victoria returned it.

The brunette led Dodo, the Doctor, and Zoe back up the stairs and out onto the street, leaving Kitty inside. The street was shrouded in darkness, save for the Inferno sign and the street lights dotted along the path. Victoria scanned the area for a cab, and frowned when she couldn’t spot any.

“I’m sorry Doctor, we may have to walk for a bit.”

“Oh, that’s quite al-”

“Don’t worry about that,” Zoe jumped in. “You stay here Doctor, I’ll hunt one down.”

Zoe had run off before anyone could stop her. After rolling her eyes, Victoria dashed after her, and the Doctor started to chuckle. Dodo feigned a smile, hoping to make herself more trustworthy to him. It was then that she spotted the man lurking behind a broken street lamp. Although he was hidden in the dark, she could make out the bottle and cloth he held in his hands. He was looking at her. 

_ He is one of us. _

She had to bring the Doctor to him. “You know, Doctor,” she started, catching the older man's attention. “Those two have gone off in the wrong direction. The taxis are all down there.” She gestured towards where the man was standing.

He narrowed his eyes, and Dodo hoped that he couldn’t see the man as well. “Are you sure, my dear?”

“Yes. I’ve just seen three go past.” When the shrouded figure nodded towards the street that Victoria and Zoe had run down, Dodo saw the headlights of a taxi drawing near. She grabbed the Doctor’s arm, looking to him with urgency. “Come along, Doctor. We can pick up the others when we find them.”

Just as the Doctor started to concede, Dodo heard Zoe’s voice calling out. “Doctor!” 

The Doctor looked delighted as the black cab pulled up, with Zoe and Victoria hopping out to greet them as soon as it parked. Victoria was beaming wildly. “Imagine our luck to find a cab at this time of night!”

As the Doctor thanked the women for their effort, Dodo noticed a rather shabby looking man clutching a brown paper bag getting out of the cab as well. He was about to slip away without paying, but the driver soon called him out.

“Not so fast!” the driver leaned out the window. His cry caught the attention of the Doctor, Zoe, and Victoria, and soon the driver and the tramp had an audience. “What about my fare?”

“I was just about to pay you, my man,” the tramp responded, his words a little slurred. “Have you got change of a quid?”

The driver frowned. “No, I haven’t got change.”

“I’ll just pop over to the overnight cafe and get some,” the tramp said with an attempt at a charming smile, although the missing teeth somewhat undermined this effort. 

The driver wouldn’t budge. “You’re staying right here, mate.”

Finally, the Doctor stepped in, making his way towards the quarrelling men and taking Dodo with him. “Oh, come along my man. We’re in a hurry!”

The driver jabbed a finger at the tramp. “Not until he pays. We all know him around here.”

“I think I’ve got some change,” Victoria said, joining the Doctor and Dodo while digging through her pocket. She produced the necessary coins. “Here you are.”

The tramp addressed her with the same smile as before. “Thank you, miss.” He turned back to the driver, brandishing his newfound wealth. “There you are, my man. Half a crown on the top.”

As the tramp paid his fare and shuffled away, the Doctor started to organise the trip to Sir Charles Summer’s home. But Dodo barely paid him any attention as her gaze drifted towards the man by the street lamp. Now that she’d moved further away he was harder to see, but she could tell he was glaring at her. He lifted the bottle and cloth, shaking his head slightly. 

Dodo bit her lip, racking her brain for an excuse to bring the Doctor to the streetlamp. But she barely got the chance to before the Doctor ushered her inside the cab. She hung her head as the car door shut, barely registering that the cab was starting to move.

_ Bring the Doctor to me, Miss Chaplet. Failure is not an option. _

 

As Victoria waved off the Doctor and Dodo, Zoe watched her with the flicker of a smile. She was glad to have met her on such a terrible day - in Victoria’s company, Zoe had completely forgotten that she’d lost her job only a few hours earlier. Victoria had a perky yet refined attitude, and Zoe had found that instantly charming.

She hoped that tonight wouldn’t be their only meeting.

As the cab disappeared into the smog, Victoria turned to Zoe. “Where do you have to get to now?”

“Just my flat. It’s alright, I can walk there myself.” Truth be told, Zoe rather liked the idea of Victoria walking her home. But she knew what London could be like at this time of night, and didn’t want Victoria to get into any trouble when walking back to the Inferno alone.

“Are you sure? It’s no trouble if you want me to come with you.”

Zoe shook her head. “I’ll be fine. Thank you, though.”

Victoria looked a little hesitant, but then her face brightened. “Listen, why don’t you drop by the Post Office Tower tomorrow around 12.30? I’ve only got half an hour for my lunch break, but I’d love it if we could get something together.”

For a moment, Zoe had to rethink what she’d just heard. Did Victoria really want to see her again? Of course she did, otherwise she wouldn’t ask. Zoe would be a fool to say no, so she responded with a nod. “That sounds great. I’ll see you tomorrow, then.”

“Yes. Goodbye.” Flashing one last smile, Victoria turned and disappeared back inside the Inferno, shutting the door behind her. Zoe lingered a little on the sidewalk, overjoyed at the prospect of seeing Victoria again.

She’d never met a woman who supported her so much - her aggravation that Zoe had been fired was nothing like Zoe had ever seen. All the other women in Zoe’s life, even her other friends, had never approved of her going for such a ‘manly’ career. They all wanted her to  _ be  _ the secretary, not the person who needed one. But Victoria believed in her, and it felt marvelous.

As she walked down the street with a flutter in her heart, she heard shuffling footsteps behind her. Frowning, she turned her head to see who was following her, only to see the tramp from earlier. Remembering the man who forced himself on Victoria earlier, she tensed.

“Go away,” she said sharply, hoping her defensive tone would deter him.

“Oh, don’t worry. I only want a bed for the night, and maybe a meal?”

Zoe scowled. “No. Now leave me alone.”

The man pointed behind him, and Zoe followed his finger to the warehouse that sat adjacent to the Inferno. “I’ll have to sleep in there if I don’t find somewhere else.”

“Well, it looks very comfortable,” Zoe said with a sardonic smile. “Goodnight.”

As she continued on her way back home, she heard the tramp yelling after her. “It's blooming paradise after what I've been used to for the last six months!”

Zoe didn’t look back, pulling her coat around her as she vanished around the corner.

 

Godfrey grumbled as the young woman strode away from him, her bobbed hair swaying as she went.  _ Selfish cow. She’s probably got a whole mansion to herself, _ he thought. But that was the homeless life, wasn’t it? Struggling to get by while the rich and healthy pretended you didn’t exist.

Godfrey scanned the street in case there was anyone else to ask for help, but the street was deserted. Sighing, he figured that it was time to go back to the warehouse. He’d spent the past few weeks there, and while it was cold and hard and uncomfortable, at least it had a roof. His hands squeezed around the form of a bottle within the paper bag he held close to his chest. Even if he did have to buckle down in the warehouse, at least he could drown his sorrows in cheap booze.

Just before he approached the door of the warehouse, he noticed a man had got there before him. As he slipped through the warehouse door, Godfrey grew too excited by the prospect of company to notice the bottle and cloth he held in his hands. He followed the man towards the door, and frowned when he saw the fresh smear of black paint over the wood.

“They've painted out the number…” he murmured. It was then that he heard someone’s voice booming throughout the warehouse, but it was too muffled for him to make anything out. It was strange - he could hear people shuffling about inside, and metal scraping against the concrete floor. “What’s been going on around here?”

Holding his paper bag closer, he pushed open the door and slid through, unsure at what he would find inside the warehouse.

Dozens of men and women occupied the warehouse. Some lugged huge boxes and crates behind them, filled to the brim with mechanical parts. Others assembled hulking, bulky machines that were like nothing Godfrey had ever seen before. They were like robots - faces blank, movements stiff. Amongst them stood an older looking, well dressed man, speaking into a microphone which amplified his voice so that he could be heard all throughout the warehouse. Godfrey recognised him from all the newspaper coverage about that big computer in the Post Office Tower - Brett, was it?

Godfrey remained hidden as Brett addressed his workers. “The welding of the casing must begin now. Hurry, time is short. This machine must be completed and armed by tomorrow morning, ready to be programmed by WOTAN.”

What on was he on about? “This machine must be completed and armed?” The man was balmy, Godfrey was sure of it. But then there were those metal monsters he saw earlier… Godfrey swallowed. Something told him he needed to get out of there - and fast. 

Suddenly, a piercing alarm rang out through the building. Brett spoke again, his voice laced with urgency. “Cease work and stand by. There is a warning. Close the doors. There is a stranger amongst us.” 

Godfrey almost dropped his booze. Surely they didn’t mean him? It was probably that other man, the one he’d seen enter. He would just slip out quietly. It would be like he was never there.

Brett continued. “He is in north section of the warehouse, bearing two seven zero degrees, behind cover. He is a danger to us. He must be destroyed!”

Godfrey’s heart pounded as he heard the sound of multiple footsteps heading towards him. He whirled around and tried to yank open the warehouse doors, but they were stuck fast. Panic rising, he remembered that there was a side entrance leading out onto another street. He might be able to get there if he was quick enough.

The tramp raced to the other entrance, but this move soon proved to be a mistake. He found himself running straight into a group of workers, and when he turned to go back the other way, he discovered that he was surrounded. Slowly, he raised one hand in surrender, the other still holding the paper bag.

“Now look. If you're the law, you got nothing on me. I'm clean.” He gave them a weak smile, praying he could charm his way out of this. The workers just looked at him with vacant faces - but their eyes were filled with rage. Godfrey found himself laughing weakly. “Well, all right, live and let live. I'll find another place to doss. Night all.”

Steeling himself, he tried to push his way out of the circle, but soon Brett’s voice boomed out once more. “Cover the door. He must not escape!”

The workers started to close around him, and sweat broke out on Godfrey’s brow. “Now what kind of a welcome's this? I won't say nothing, boss.”

Godfrey’s eyes widened when the crowd broke apart, revealing one of the massive machines he’d seen earlier. It raised what looked like a gun, aiming it straight at his head. A powerful jet of gas fired from it, hitting Godfrey in the face. He coughed and choked as he breathed in the gas. It tore at his throat, made his eyes water, burned his skin. He couldn’t breathe - he was dying.

He used his last, hoarse breath to scream for help, the cry ripping out of his throat. He raised his hands to his neck, the bottle of booze smashing as it hit the ground. Dark spots started to appear before his eyes, and he collapsed, hearing only one thing more before he faded into darkness.

“Resume work immediately. Construction must be completed by tomorrow morning!”

And then Godfrey could hear no more.

 

Rain pounded against the windows, dappling the glass to the point of opaqueness. Yet it was a comforting sound that the Doctor welcomed, especially after reading that mornings headline. He was seated in one of the cushy chairs in the living room of Sir Charles’ city apartment, flicking through the paper that had arrived that morning. Sir Charles himself was busy at his desk by the window, scribbling out signatures on forms the Doctor couldn’t care less about.

“Good gracious,” he mumbled under his breath as his eyes scanned the bold, dark letters. His exclamation caught Sir Charles’ attention, as the other man had soon turned around in his chair.

“What is it Doctor?” When the Doctor beckoned him over, he rose from his seat and crossed the room to the Doctor’s own.

The older man jabbed his finger at the headline. “Well, just take a look at this.”

Sir Charles’ eyes narrowed as he scanned the words. “Tramp found dead at covent garden,” he read aloud.

“Yes. Three o'clock. That must have been after we left him…” the Doctor muttered, earning him a quizzical look from Sir Charles.

“Did you know the fellow, Doctor?”

“No. We met last night, or rather, early this morning. We used his taxi which he left in Covent Garden.” 

The Doctor hadn’t paid the man much attention, aside from annoyance at his holding them up. He wondered what could’ve possibly happened to him so soon after he drove off in the taxi with Dodo? Perhaps he should look into it…

“The Police aren't sure if it was a street accident,” Sir Charles said, paraphrasing the article.

‘Oh, yes, it is possible, of course…”

Sir Charles straightened up, having bent down to read the paper. “Well, what else could it be?”

“Oh, I don't know, Sir Charles, I don't know.”

Making his way back to his desk, Sir Charles sighed. “Well, if you'd just stop worrying about the indefinable, you might be able to give me a little advice on a very real problem.”

“Oh, yes?” the Doctor asked. He wasn’t entirely sure he wanted to ignore the issue of the tramp, as his death was a mystery the Doctor wanted solved. But he supposed if Sir Charles wanted help, he was obliged to give it. After all, he was putting a roof over he and Dodo’s head. “What’s this then?”

“Letters of resignation,” Sir Charles explained, picking up and examining two of the papers he was looking over before. “They’re from scientists, both of them in my faculty.”

“Oh yes, I see, yes. There's no reason given at all, is there?”

Sir Charles shook his head. “No, that's the strange thing. These are two of the best men in England and I haven't been able to get in touch with either of them. No one appears to have seen them since last night. Now isn't it an extraordinary thing that two such well known men can vanish so suddenly?”

For a moment, the Doctor entertained the notion that WOTAN had everything to do with the resignations of Charles’ scientists. After all, it seemed to be the focal point of London’s scientific society, so any connection wouldn’t surprise him in the least. But before he could share this theory with Sir Charles, there was a knock on the door. Sir Charles called for the visitor to come in, and the large wooden doors pushed open to reveal Victoria. As she stood, the Doctor couldn’t help but wonder at her choice of clothes. A miniskirt hardly seemed appropriate for a day as cold as this one.

“Good morning Sir Charles, Doctor. I’m so sorry I’m late.” She shook her head as she spoke.

“Late? What for?” It seemed that Sir Charles was having a rather confusing morning.

“Well, for work,” Victoria explained. “If you'll just show me where your secretary sits, I'll take over.”

Sir Charles looked to the Doctor, then back to Victoria, who was still standing in the doorway. “I’m afraid I don’t quite understand.”

Victoria’s brows knitted together, her lips parting in a bemused smile. “But Major Green told me to come straight round at once as Professor Brett didn't want me this morning, and that your secretary was ill.”

“Yes, well my secretary is away today, but how on Earth Brett knew…” Sir Charles trailed off. But his puzzled expression soon turned to a more warm, welcoming one. “Still, if you're here I'd be very grateful of your help. The office is through there. I'll be there in a moment.”

“Right, thank you very much.” Finally, Victoria stepped out of the doorway and into the living room. On her way through to the office, she made a stop by the Doctor’s chair. “How's Dodo this morning, Doctor?”

As soon as she asked, a side door pushed open to reveal Dodo, and the Doctor smiled at her arrival. “Oh, there she is, child. Perhaps you'd better ask her yourself?”

Victoria turned to greet her friend. “Hi, Dodo. Are you feeling any better?”

“Quite well, thank you,” Dodo replied curtly. “Hadn’t you better start work?”

Taken aback and looking a little hurt, Victoria looked to the floor. “Yes, I suppose I’d better.” She disappeared into the office, and the Doctor felt a little sorry for the young woman. What would Dodo’s cause be to treat her in such a fashion?

Dodo now turned her attention to the Doctor, but she still didn’t sound like her normal self. She was far too clipped, too clear. While he meant no offence to her, the Doctor was used to Dodo speaking with a less than refined accent. “Hello, Doctor. I hope I haven't kept you waiting for me today?”

“No, child, no. You're right on time.” The Doctor looked to his companion with a slightly furrowed brow, then turned back to Sir Charles, who had returned to his papers in the interim. “Well, I'm sorry, Sir Charles, I can't help you with your problem, but I'm afraid I'm rather out of touch.”

“Yes, well, it's not going to be easy,” said Sir Charles, eyes still glued to the resignation papers. “Men of that quality are very hard to find. Especially men with their knowledge of computers.”

At that moment, Dodo’s eyes seemed to light up. “Computers? Well surely the person who can tell you all about computers is Professor Brett. We could call round and see him now.”

“Oh but my dear, I thought you were going to show me round London this morning?” The Doctor thought back to the conversation they’d had on their way to the Post Office Tower yesterday. She’d seemed awfully keen to show him all her favourite places, and while he wasn’t exactly looking forward to the places themselves, he was fond of the idea of spending more time with his companion.

Dodo waved her hand in dismissal. “Oh, don't worry about that. Your business sounds important.”

“Oh, that's very nice of you. Yes, very understanding.” As he rose from his chair, a thought crossed his mind. “Ah, I think perhaps I'd better phone his office first.” He didn’t fancy on dropping in on Brett unannounced two days in a row.

“Yes,” Dodo said, drawing the word out as though she was thinking hard about it. “That might be best.”

After asking Sir Charles’ permission to use his telephone, the Doctor reached over to the black handset sitting on the table by the chair. After dialling, he picked it up, and was greeted by an operator.

“Yes, yes, I want to speak to Professor Brett. Yes, he's at the General Post Office tower. That's right, yes…”

 

Brett held the phone to his ear, triumphant at the sound of the Doctor’s voice on the other line. He was speaking, something about coming to see him. If he let him come, WOTAN could take him there. But it was more efficient over the phone, and it had worked perfectly with Miss Chaplet and the army of workers.

He looked to Krimpton, the slightest hint of a smile playing on his lips. “It’s the Doctor.”

“I’ll switch him through. Direct to WOTAN.”

As the Doctor’s voice boomed over WOTAN’s speakers, the beautiful chorus of humming and beeping started. The Doctor was losing his mind to WOTAN. Finally, they had him in their grasp.

The Doctor would be on their side now - the side of WOTAN.   


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all so much for reading! Be sure to let me know what you thought in a comment :D


	4. Part Four

The Doctor cried out in pain, the phone clattering on the floor as it fell from his grasp. He staggered around the room, shaking hands clutching his head. Dodo recognised the pain - she had felt it too. But it was a good pain. It was WOTAN’s pain.

Sir Charles was up on his feet the moment the Doctor yelped. He ran to the older man’s side, grabbing his arm for support. “Let’s get him back into the chair.” It took Dodo a little while to notice that he was looking to her for help. But soon she found herself helping Sir Charles and easing the Doctor into the seat. Once he was settled, Sir Charles looked to Dodo. “I'll get Brett's secretary to phone for an a-”

“Oh, no, no no…” the Doctor moaned.

“Well, how about a little brandy?” he suggested, but the Doctor shook his head.

“No… Just water…”

Dodo stood by as Sir Charles disappeared to retrieve the Doctor’s beverage. After quickly making sure that the commotion hadn’t caught Victoria’s attention, she knelt by the arm of the Doctor’s chair.

“Don't be alarmed, Doctor,” she whispered. “This is the method of establishing contact. Time is very short. Construction has already begun. You are needed.”

Judging from his clearer tone, the Doctor was regaining his senses. “What happened?”

“It's all right, Doctor. You are now one of us. My function was to bring you in contact. Now I shall serve as an assistant-”

“Oh, what are you talking about, child?” He was looking at her directly now, and she didn’t like the look of bewilderment scrawled across his face. 

Her whispers grew harsh. “Listen, Doctor, construction is taking place at strategic points in London.”

The Doctor took some time to respond, closing his eyes and lying back for a moment. Dodo watched him with a furrowed brow, the sinking feeling of failure creeping up on her. The conversion had to have worked. He had direct contact with WOTAN. He should be ready to help. WOTAN needed him.

The Doctor’s eyes slowly opened, and he turned to look at Dodo, his voice alarmingly calm as he addressed her. “What were you saying, my dear?”

No... It had to have worked. If it hadn’t, Dodo would fail. She couldn’t fail. That phone call was the perfect opportunity… How did she keep getting it wrong? “But you took the call. You made the telephone call. You made contact, didn't you?”

“Yes, yes, I think I remember,” the Doctor murmured, bringing his hand to rub his chin. “I was speaking to Professor Brett and all of a sudden there seemed to be an explosion.” As he recalled the event, he became more animated, rising to his feet. “It very nearly knocked me off my feet. It was as if, as if-”

“What, Doctor?”

“It was if something enormous and terrific was trying to absorb me! Yes, yes…” He then looked back at Dodo, who was still crouched on the floor by the chair. He gave a short sigh. “Oh, it's ridiculous, child, isn't it? Yes, there's something erratically wrong with that telephone. It was just like an electric shock.”

Dodo’s face fell. “The you received no instruction.”

“From whom, my dear?”

As Dodo opened her mouth to respond, the door swung open to reveal Victoria, with Sir Charles following behind her. Victoria had a glass of water in her hands, and she veered straight towards the Doctor. “Here you are, Doctor, drink this. And do sit down!”

As the Doctor took the glass from Victoria, Dodo looked to the exit. She couldn’t stay, not if the take over of the Doctor’s mind had failed. She would leave and think of new ways to get his help. She couldn’t go to the Post Office Tower - there was only shame for her there. While the Doctor talked to Sir Charles and Victoria, Dodo rose from the ground and walked swiftly towards the large wooden doors.

“Stay where you are, my dear.”

Dodo froze at the sound of the Doctor’s voice. Stay there, and she’d be interrogated and prevented from obeying her instructions. Go to the Tower, and receive WOTANs punishment. She was stuck.

She heard Victoria behind her. “What is the matter?”

“There's a new and deadly danger facing us. Yes, and it's coming from Professor Brett's office,” the Doctor explained.

“From my office?” Victoria sounded crestfallen. “I don’t understand…”

Dodo heard footsteps approaching her, then the soft voice of the Doctor calling to her. “Come here, my dear. Look at me.” Dodo obeyed, turning to face him with shiny, watery eyes. His expression changed to one of sadness, and Dodo got the feeling that he was ashamed of something. “Yes, it's just as I thought. She's been hypnotised... Sit in that chair, my dear.”

As the Doctor gestured to the chair he’d only recently occupied himself, Dodo started towards it, settling into it automatically. She felt so empty. A failure to WOTAN. A failure to her cause. All she could do now was blindly obey - what else was there for her to do?

The Doctor followed her, reaching for the large lamp on the table by the chair. He twisted it so that the light shone in Dodo’s eyes. She didn’t so much as blink.

“Now, I want you to repeat after me.” The Doctor spoke clearly, so much so that it almost cut through the fog in Dodo’s mind. “My name is Dodo Chaplet.”

“My name is Dodo Chaplet.”

“I resist all attempts to change me into somebody else.”

“I resist all attempts to change me into somebody else.”

“I’m going to start counting,” the Doctor told her. “ And when I've counted up to five, you will be fast asleep. And when you wake again, you will forget all about this distressing incident. Now, I'm going to begin. Just look at that ring on my hand.”

Dodo’s eyes fell on the large blue ring on the Doctor’s finger, fixating on it just as he told her. Her mind was a mess - loyalty to WOTAN melding together with feelings of self control. It made her head hurt, and she wanted it to stop. But now she had instructions. Watch the ring.

The Doctor started his count, waving his hand up and down as he did so. Dodo’s eyes followed it, and as they did, she felt their lids drooping. Sleepiness cut through the confusion, and suddenly she felt at peace. Her mind stopped warring against itself, and now all she had the strength to do was to shut her eyes and go to sleep.

 

Dodo’s head lolled as she fell unconscious. The Doctor lowered his hand only after he was sure she’d drifted off.

He should never had let this happen. He should’ve known WOTAN was going to cause trouble, and that it would be dangerous to let Dodo anywhere near it. And now she’d suffered the consequences of his own dangerous curiosity - she’d had her mind taken advantage of while he wasted time at the Scientific Club. 

He’d put an end to WOTAN. He’d destroy that computer if it was the last thing he did.

Resting his hand on Dodo’s own, he turned to Sir Charles and Victoria, both of whom looked on with worry. “I think she'll sleep for forty eight hours, and when she wakes I want absolute peace and quiet for her. Do you understand?”

“Are you sure she’s alright?” Victoria asked as Sir Charles nodded his head.

The Doctor gave her a reassuring smile. “Yes, she’s alright.” 

“She can go down to my house in the country,” Sir Charles offered. “My wife will look after her.”

“Yes, that’s a very fine thing…” he glanced down to Dodo, who was now sleeping peacefully. “Take care of her, won’t you?”

Sir Charles nodded. “Indeed I will. Victoria, would-” he looked around, only to find that Victoria was nowhere to be seen. “Oh, where has that girl gone to?”

“I don’t know.” Now that he’d helped Dodo, the Doctor’s mind fell back to what she’d said to him earlier. She’d babbled on about contact and construction and all sorts of things that the Doctor had yet to make sense of. “She said something about strategic points in London.”

Sir Charles regarded him quizzically. “Strategic points?”

The Doctor looked out the window, watching as the rain beat down on the London street. “Where, I wonder. Where?”

 

Major Green watched as the van pulled into the warehouse, coming to a stop a few feet away from where he was standing. Two workers jumped out from the driver’s cockpit, making their way towards the back of the van and yanking the doors open. A ramp slid out, and Green marvelled at the machine that moved down it.

It was the first War Machine he had ever seen - and it was huge. Two octagonal hammers sat at the end of its long metal arms, attached to a hulking metallic box of a body. It moved using a large, continuous track, and the lights placed along its torso were almost blinding. On its shoulders sat two guns, presumably used to fire off the gas that WOTAN had ordered them to use. 

Despite having already heard of the weapon’s success from Brett, Green wanted to see it for himself. “Destructive weapons to be tested. Prepare for demonstration of effectiveness.” His eyes fell on one of the van drivers. “You there. Stay where you are, stand still.” The driver did as he was told. Green looked from the machine to its soon to be victim, then gave his orders. “Bearing fifty two. Distance check thirty feet, elevation five feet. Impact, fatal. Take aim.”

The driver watched on, impassive as the War Machine turned to face him. The guns on its shoulders extended, aiming directly at the man’s face. Green wished he could die this way - serving WOTAN, helping to achieve the ultimate goal of his master. Testing the machines was a vital part of the plan’s success. It was an honour to be part of it.

“Ready to proceed. Observe results. About to fire. Fire!”

As the War Machine’s spray of gas enveloped the driver, the struggle to breathe began, and it sounded like he was coughing up his lungs. But he just stood still, letting the gas enter his system and destroy him from the inside.

Green couldn’t see him through the cloud of gas. But as it cleared, he finally saw that the driver had succumbed to his fate and collapsed. 

“Test satisfactory. Effective at thirty feet.”

Green beckoned another man over, another victim. He had to test the War Machine to its full capacity, getting it to kill at forty feet, fifty feet, sixty feet - however far away it took until the guns no longer killed its targets.

Green didn’t care how many workers were sacrificed for this cause. They were replaceable. The War Machines were not.

 

_ She has failed me. _

Brett looked up from his calculations, Krimpton soon doing the same. WOTAN had spoken to them again, and it brought bad tidings.

“There is no word yet from Miss Chaplet?” Brett asked. He shouldn’t have to. WOTAN told him everything.

_ Other means must be employed. Doctor Who is required. _

As Brett’s mind whirred with other means of capturing the Doctor, he noticed Krimpton straighten up. He looked to Krimpton with curiosity. The other man met his gaze, his expression impossible to read. “There is someone outside.”

Brett’s fists clenched at his side. “We must be ready to destroy.”

The door to Brett’s office pushed open, revealing Victoria. The secretary slipped in, eyes wide and shining with concern. She looked from Brett to Krimpton then back again, and something seemed to disturb her.

“Professor? Are you alright?” she asked.

_ She must join us. _

The girls eyes widened. “What was that?”

She never got her answer, as shortly afterwards she yelped out in pain, clutching her head. Collapsing to her knees, her body shook with heaving sobs. Brett watched with passive pleasure, knowing that very soon, another would join their ranks.

 

The Doctor needed to make a plan.

WOTAN was dangerous, and it needed to be stopped. But how? It would probably be heavily guarded, as he highly doubted that Dodo was the only victim of its hypnosis. Brett was probably under its control as well, and possibly that Professor he stole from the conference. And he wouldn’t be surprised if the computer had hired some muscle. No, he’d need to be careful. 

Then there was the matter of what Dodo had said, about strategic points in London. Now, what did she mean by that? Were these strategic points where construction was taking place? But construction of what? 

The Doctor sighed. He needed someone to bounce ideas off of, to talk through his ideas. But Dodo was resting, Sir Charles was preoccupied, and Victoria had wandered off. Victoria… Where had that girl got to? If WOTAN was as big of a threat as he thought it was, he didn’t fancy Victoria roaming around on her own without any sort of protection. Yet another thing he had to worry about… Why couldn’t these people use their common sense and stay put?

The Doctor was so preoccupied with his thoughts that he didn’t notice someone entering the office until they spoke up. “Excuse me, you’re the Doctor, aren’t you?”

He turned around and spotted Zoe, the young woman from the night before. He hadn’t said much to her, although she seemed nice enough, if a little fiesty. Nevertheless, he was happy to see a familiar face. “Oh, Zoe. How did you know I was here?”

“Well, I was supposed to meet Victoria for lunch,” she explained. “But at the Tower they told me she’d come here.”

The Doctor cocked his head. “Didn’t she keep that appointment?” When Zoe responded with a shake of her head, the Doctor raised a bent finger to his lips. “Oh, dear me, it's just as I feared…”

“Is there something wrong? Where’s Victoria?” Zoe stepped towards the Doctor, brows raised.

“She left this house some time ago. Seeing you, my dear, made me think that perhaps she’d simply left to meet you for this lunch date. But if you haven’t seen her, then I’m afraid the child has gone missing.” Upon the severe look on the Doctor’s face, Zoe gave a nervous laugh.

“It can’t be that serious, surely?”

The Doctor glanced over to the newspaper on the table, the headline facing the roof. “That tramp in the paper. Did you see it?”

“I thought I recognised him,” Zoe said with a nod. “He was absolutely ghastly. But what does he have to do with Victoria?”

“Well, I fear there may be some connection between the two, my dear.” The Doctor began to pace, but then paused to look back at Zoe. “That's why I want to solicit your help in this matter. I think, er, I don't think you will arouse so much suspicion as the police might.”

“Tell me what to do and I’ll do it.”

A smile flickered onto his lips at Zoe’s eagerness to help. “I want you to investigate in and around that neighbourhood where we were last night in that club.”

“Do you want me to go right now?” Zoe asked, already backing towards the door.

It seemed she’d go right now whether the Doctor wanted her to or not. “Yes, and be careful, my child. This might be dangerous.”

Zoe was already halfway out the door by the time he finished, and she vanished through it as she called out that she would, indeed, be careful. The Doctor couldn’t help but chuckle at her behaviour. To think she’d run out to try and find a woman she only met last night for the sake of an old man she barely knew. That’s what so impressed him about humans - their sense of compassion was second to none.

And that’s why he had to save them.

 

The area outside the Inferno club was completely different when the sun was up. The blinking red sign was a dull, static grey, there was no music drifting out onto the streets, save for the whistling of workers as they unloaded their lorries. Zoe made her way down the street, ignoring the catcalls she received from said workers. Honestly, she couldn’t understand how Kitty and Victoria lived around here. It seemed that Zoe couldn’t walk down this street without at least one man eyeing her up or harassing her.

But that was the least of her problems. She had to get to the warehouse, get all the information the Doctor needed, and find Victoria. Sounded easy enough.

Zoe approached the warehouse, pausing at the door to listen for anything suspicious, of any sign that someone might be in there. Sure enough, she could hear a voice beyond the iron doors.

“Destruction and potency test, stand by.”

Then came an almighty crash that made Zoe jump. It had come from inside - so something was going on in there! Glancing around her, Zoe pushed the door open a little, then slipped inside, shutting the door softly behind her. Spotting a pile of crates, she ducked behind them, keeping her ears open for anything of interest.

The same voice from earlier spoke again. “Stand by for test on arm action. Testing.”

It was then that Zoe saw the machine for the first time. She stifled a gasp, shocked at the sheer size of the metal monster. It raised one of its large, hammer-like arms, and swung it down onto a nearby desk, splitting the wood clean in half. Zoe gulped - she didn’t like the idea of staying in the warehouse for much longer.

But in a way, she found the machines fascinating. She couldn’t imagine the computing power behind them - how had they been constructed? She’d like nothing more than to take it apart and learn how it worked. If it weren’t for how dangerous it looked, she probably would.

The man spoke again, and this time she got a good look at him. He was tall, middle aged, his top lip decorated with a mustache. He had a commanding presence, like what you’d expect from a man in the military. He made Zoe just as, if not more, nervous as the machines did.

“Test satisfactory. Stand by for sight test. Commence testing.”

Zoe’s eyes widened as the searchlight on the top of the machine swooped across the crates she was hiding behind. She dropped behind them, hoping she hadn’t been spotted. She breathed a sigh of relief when it seemed she was safe, until the man barked out more instructions. “Sight to be improved! Thirty yards maximum insufficient. Movement test. Commence testing.”

Any sense of calm Zoe felt melted away completely when she heard the whir of the machine coming towards her. If she didn’t move now, she’d be caught and most probably killed. She looked around her for ways to sneak out, but she was starved for options. If she went towards the entrance, she’d be spotted by the machine. If she went further into the warehouse, she’d be spotted by something else. Just as she turned her head to check behind her, the machine’s hammer smashed aside the boxes Zoe was hiding behind, fully revealing her. 

She backed up against the wall, hands splayed out behind her as the machine loomed ever closer. Bracing herself for the worst, Zoe squeezed her eyes shut.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks a bunch for reading! I'd love to hear what you thought of this update in the comments!


End file.
